Paper roll holder with pushbutton release



July 16, 1968 H. v. PETERSON 3,392,928

PAPER ROLL HOLDER WITH PUSHBUTTON RELEASE Filed Feb. 8, 1967 Fig 3 /4 24 22 Z b/a F' l Herber'l V gig l g n B Y F Hgenf United States Patent 3,392,928 PAPER ROLL HOLDER WITH PUSHBU'ITON RELEASE Herbert V. Peterson, 2717 N. Holman St., Portland, Oreg. 97217 Filed Feb. 8, 1967, Ser. No. 614,732 4 Claims. (Cl. 242-55.53)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE One of the pair of socket members that are secured removably to a paper roll housing for anchoring the ends of a spring biased telescopic paper roll support, is provided with a bore whichslidably mounts a pushbutton release member. The inner end of the release member has a removable, enlarged head that retains the release member in the bore and also abuts the adjacent end of the roll support. Upon inward movement of the release member against the tension of the biasing spring the adjacent end of the roll support is retracted from its socket, facilitating removal of the paper roll support.

Backgronnd of the invention Summary of the invention The present invention achieves the principal objective of overcoming the foregoing disadvantages by a very simple and inexpensive modification of a standard and widely used paper roll holder.

The foregoing and other objectives and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing of the preferred embodiment.

Brief description of the drkrwing FIG. 1 is a foreshortened front elevation of a conventional paper roll holder incorporating a pushbutton release embodying the features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical end elevation as viewed from the right in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a foreshortened sectional view taken on the line 33 in FIG. 1.

Description of the preferred embodiment The drawing illustrates a conventional toilet tissue holder which includes a housing having integral side walls 10, an arcuate rear wall 12 and a peripheral flange 14. The walls of the housing are adapted to enter a recess in a wall structure 16, with the flange abutting the outer surface of the wall, adjacent the recess. Openings 18 in the arcuate rear wall are adapted to receive anchor screws by which the housing is secured to the wall structure.

Associated with the housing is a paper roll support comprising a pair of elongated, longitudinally telescoping tubular members 20 and '22. The telescoping ends of the members are open, while their opposite ends are closed. Confined within the telescoping members is an elongated coil spring 24 which abuts at its opposite ends against the Patented July 16, 1968 ice closed ends of the tubular members. The spring thus urges the tubular members in the direction of longitudinal extension.

The closed outer ends of the tubular members are received removably one in each of the sockets 26 provided in a pair of socket members 28. These socket members project forwardly from the opposite side portions of the peri heral flange 14. In this supported position the roll support thus extends across the open front end of the housing.

Each of the socket members is mounted removably on the peripheral flange by means of the pair of spaced screws 30 which extend through openings in the flange and are received in threaded openings in the socket member. The screws are spaced symmetrically to opposite sides of the central plane of the socket member (FIG. 2) so that the latter are interchangeable from one flange to the other.

When installed on the housing flanges the sockets of the pair of socket members are disposed in axial alignment. The socket members also are mounted midway between the upper and lower ends of the housing, whereby the roll support extends across the open front end of the housing midway between the upper and lower ends thereof. This arrangement also permits the housing to be installed in a Wall structure without regard to which end is disposed upward or downward.

The foregoing structure comprises a standard type of toilet tissue holder and thus per se does not form a part of the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing structure is modified in a simple and economical manner to provide a pushbutton release by which to facilitate removal of the paper roll support. This is achieved, in the embodiment illustrated, by modifying one of the socket members 28, for example the right hand socket member illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. Thus, this socket member is provided with a bore 32 extending through the body of the socket member and communicating with the socket 26. This bore slidably receives the shank portion 34 of a pushbutton member the outer end of which is enlarged to form a pushbutton head 36. An intermediate portion of the shank may be enlarged in cross section to provide a shoulder 38 arranged to abut the outer side of the socket member and thus limit the inward movement of the shank relative to the socket.

In the embodiment illustrated the socket member is shown to be of the standard type, identical to the left hand socket member. The depth of the socket 26 thus provides .a rather limited length for the bore 32 which constitute the sliding bearing support for the shank. In accordance with the present invention means is provided for increasing the length of this bearing support. In the embodiment illustrated this means comprises a filler washer 40 which is inserted in the socket 26. The washer has a central opening aligned with and of the same size as the bore 32 in the socket member. The washer may be made of metal, wood, rubber, synthetic plastic, or other suitable material, it being preferred to employ Teflon for its low frictional characteristic. Alternatively, it will be understood that the socket member supporting the pushbutton member may be specially constructed with a thicker wall at the base of the socket.

The pushbutton member is secured removably to the socket member by means of the retainer screw 42 the threaded shank of which is received in the threaded opening in the inner end of the shank. The head of the screw is larger in cross section than the bore 32, and thus prevents retraction of the pushbutton member shank outwardly through the bore of the socket member.

In operation, with the roll support mounted in the socket members, the closed end of the telescoping tubular member 22 received in the socket 26 associated with the pushbutton release member, abuts the enlarged head of the screw 42, The pushbutton member thus is retracted laterally outward by the resilient force of the spring 24. When it is desired to remove the roll support from the housing, finger pressure is applied to the head 36 of the pushbutton member to move the latter inward against the opposing force of the spring. The adjacent closed end of the tubular member 22 thus is retracted from the socket, whereupon the assembly of tubular members and coil spring may be drawn forwardly from the housing.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the present invention provides simplified and economical means by which to facilitate the removal of a paper roll support from its associated housing. A conventional unit of the type described may be modified simply by providing a bore 32 in one of the socket members and mounting removably therein a simplified and inexpensive pushbutton member, by means of the retainer screw 42. The modified socket member may be mounted on either of the side flange portions of the housing, for right or left hand operation. If a standard socket member is employed, the bearing support for the pushbutton member may be increased in length simply by the provision of a filler washer 40.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that vari ous changes in size, shape and arrangement of parts de scribed hereinbefore may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention and the manner in which it may be used, I claim:

1. In combination with a paper roll holder of the type having a pair of transversely spaced socket members secured removably to the laterally spaced front flanges of a housing and adapted to support removably in the facing sockets thereof the opposite closed ends of a pair of spring biased, elongated, telescoping paper roll support members, roll support release means comprising:

(a) pushbutton means having a pushbutton head portion and a shank portion integral therewith,

(b) the shank portion extending slidably inward through a bore in one of the socket members and communicating with the socket thereof, the pushbutton head portion being spaced laterally outward from the socket member, and

(c) retainer means secured removably to the inner end of the shank portion of the pushbutton means, the retainer means having an enlarged abutment head larger in cross section than the bore in the socket member, whereby to retain the shank portion against outward removal from the bore,

(d) the abutment head being disposed in the socket for abutment by the outer closed endof the adjacent roll support member. v 2. The combination of claim 1 including a filler bearing in the socket of the socket member supporting said pushbutton means, the filler bearing having a bore coaxial with and of substantially the same siie as the bore in the socket member for PIOViding increased-bearing support length for the shank portion of the pushbutton means, the filler bearing terminating inward of the open end of the socket. i

3. For use with a paperrroll holder of the type having a pair of transversely spaced socket members secured removably to the laterally spaced front flanges of a housing and adapted to support removably in the facing sockets thereof the opposite closed ends of a pair of spring biased, elongated, telescoping paper roll support members, paper rollsupport release means comprising I (a) a replacement socket member adapted to be secured removably to one of the laterally spaced front flanges of the housing in.place of one of said socket members, I

(b) pushbutton means having a pushbutton head portion and a shank portion integral therewith,

(c) the shank portion extending slidably inward through a bore in said replacement socket member and communicating with the socket thereof, the pushbutton head portion being spaced laterally outward from the socket member, and

(d) retainer means secured removably to the inner end of the shank portion, the retainer means having an enlarged abutment head larger in cross section than said bore, whereby to retain the shank portion against outward removal from the bore,

(e) the abutment head being disposed in the socket for abutment by the outer closed end of the adjacent roll support member.

4. The roll support release means of claim 3 including a filler bearing in the socket of the replacement socket member, the filler bearing having a bore coaxial with the bore in said socket member for providing increased bearing support length for the shank portion, the filler bearing terminating inward of the open end of the socket.

2/1965 Kennedy. 24255.2

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner, 

